The present invention relates to a method for the separation of shale from ROM shale. More particularly, it relates to a method for separating shale from slate, shale, limestone, fireclay, and boney shale present in ROM shale.
As presently mined, ROM shale contains many impurities such as slate, shale, limestone, fireclay, and boney shale in varying concentrations. These and various other impurities in the ROM shale are hereinafter referred to as refuse. There are no economically practical techniques for separating shale from refuse, or separating higher grade shale from lower grade shale. It should be noted that the term "oil shale" as used in the industry is in fact a misnomer; it is neither shale, nor does it contain oil, it is a sedimentary formation comprising marlstone deposit and including dolomite with layers containing an organic polymer called "kerogen," which, upon heating, decomposes to produce liquid and gaseous products. It is the formation containing kerogen that is called "oil shale" herein, and the liquid carbonaceous product is called "shale oil."